A Metropolitan Police officer has been suspended following the arrest of a woman at a pro-Palestine demonstration in London on Wednesday. The arrest occurred outside the Ministry of Justice in Westminster, where five people were detained in total, including two for allegedly shouting slogans calling for 'intifada'.
The suspension comes hours after the Met commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, and Greater Manchester Police chief constable, Sir Stephen Watson, announced a change in approach. They said officers would now arrest anyone chanting 'globalise the intifada' or displaying placards with the phrase, citing escalating threats and violent acts against Jewish communities.
In a joint statement, the police chiefs said: 'The words and chants used, especially in protests, matter and have real-world consequences. We have consistently been advised by the CPS that many of the phrases causing fear in Jewish communities don’t meet prosecution thresholds. Now, in the escalating threat context, we will recalibrate to be more assertive.'
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign condemned the move as 'political repression of protest for Palestinian rights', arguing that the word 'intifada' is not a call for violence. Jewish groups, including the Community Security Trust, welcomed the arrests, stating that calls for a global intifada are 'intolerable' and a necessary step against violent incitement.
The Crown Prosecution Service has not confirmed whether the new approach will lead to successful prosecutions. The Met has faced criticism both for being too lenient and too severe in policing protests since the mass demonstrations began in October 2023.
